Santa Barbara / California / United States
Operational for more than 30 years, the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, also known as APCD, is an independent government agency that works to protect people and the environment of Santa Barbara County in California from harmful effects of air pollution. It serves the citizens of Buellton, Carpinteria, Goleta, Guadalupe, Lompoc, Santa Barbara, Santa Maria and Solvang. The agency undertakes several projects related to energy, land use, air pollution, smoking vehicles and fires. The Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District administers the Green Business Program. The agency also organizes the Air Toxics Program. It has a network of over 15 monitoring stations that are portable structures containing electronic instruments used to measure and record the concentration of various air pollutants, as well as record weather conditions, such as temperature and wind speed and direction. The Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District also initiates Santa Barbara Car Free, which is a cooperative partnership of nearly 100 local businesses, organizations, agencies and individuals that encourages car free transportation for cleaner air.
